Former supermodel Christina Estrada still waits for €53m payout

Former supermodel Christina Estrada, who won a £53m (€62m) award against her Saudi billionaire ex-husband, Sheikh Walid Juffali, is still waiting for her money following his death, Britain’s High Court has heard.

The family judge who made the order in favour of the former Pirelli calendar model, now 54, said she hoped the lump sum would be paid without the need for enforcement action, despite Dr Juffali’s “sad death”.

Ms Justice Roberts said: “I think it is important to acknowledge that I am not dealing with a situation where the door has been slammed shut.”

The lump sum order was made against Dr Juffali, an international businessman who died aged 61, to meet his former wife’s “reasonable needs”. It is the largest ‘needs’ payout ever made by an English court, and a deadline for payment was set on Friday, July 29, at 4pm.

However, Dr Juffali died from cancer nine days before the deadline.

Lawyers for Ms Estrada, who is on holiday in the US, returned to court yesterday to consider the latest position against the possibility she might have to take enforcement action.

The judge said a hearing should take place in October to consider the position.